Scott Harrison targets Ricky Burns

Scott Harrison has announced he is ready to give Scottish boxing fans the “fight that Scotland wants to see” and has laid down the challenge to Ricky Burns. Amid speculation that WBO lightweight champion Burns has parted company with promoter Frank Warren after the postponement of his unification bout with IBF belt-holder Miguel Vázquez, Harrison has offered to step in after the Mexican was struck down with a viral infection caused by food poisoning.

Former two-time WBO featherweight champion Harrison said: “I will be ready to fight by the end of March. I have had a couple of tune-up bouts and I am ready to give the fans the fight that Scotland wants to see, which is me against Ricky Burns. It would be a good fight and a cracking fight for the fans.

“I have heard that Burns’ fight with Vázquez had been postponed until the 20th of April, but if there are any more problems or delays it makes sense for Burns to fight me instead.

There had been plans for Harrison to take on Kevin Mitchell on the original Burns-Vázquez undercard, scheduled for the 16th of March at the Wembley Arena in London, however the proposed contest fell through. Harrison said: “I trained for one month thinking I would be boxing Kevin Mitchell but the fight didn’t materialise.

“If I had been given another opponent for the 16th of March I could have immediately stepped in to face Burns after Vázquez withdrew as I would have still been in full training. I just get the impression there have been quite a few problems for Vázquez and I am ready to fight if he is unable to.

“I just want to let the public know and let Ricky Burns know that I am ready to make the fight happen.”